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Kalki

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Kalki
Kalki on horse
Devanagariकल्कि
Sanskrit transliterationKalki
AffiliationTenth avatar of Vishnu
AbodeShambhala
PlanetEarth
WeaponRatna Maru (sword) (weapon of Shiva)
Bow and arrow (sometimes)
TextsBhagavata Purana
Garuda Purana
Kalki Purana
Padma Purana
Vishnu Purana
Ethnic groupBrahmin
Genealogy
Parents
  • Vishnu Yasha (father)
  • Sumati (mother)
ConsortPadma (Avatar of Lakshmi)

In Hinduism, Kalki (Devanagari: कल्कि) is the nemesis of demon Kali and the tenth avatar of Vishnu, foretold to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the present epoch. The Purana scriptures foretell that Kalki will be atop a white horse with a drawn blazing sword. He is the harbinger of the end time in Hindu eschatology, after which he will usher in Satya Yuga.

In the Tibetan Buddhism Kalachakra tradition, 25 rulers of the Shambhala Kingdom held the title of Kalki, Kulika or Kalki-king. During Vaishakha, the first fortnight in Shukla Paksha is dedicated to fifteen deities, with each day for a different god. In this tradition, the twelfth day is Vaishakha Dwadashi and is dedicated to Madhava, another name for Kalki.

Etymology

The name Kalki is derived based Kali, which means "present age" (kali yuga).

Maha Avatara

There are numerous interpretations of Vedic traditions. Avatara means "descent" and refers to a descent of the divine into the material realm in the Avatari's selfsame form. The Garuda Purana lists ten avatars, with Kalki being the tenth.

Puranas

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Vaishnavism
Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus. From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head bowed, legs crossed and hands folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of worship placed before the lotus-seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing the poet.
Supreme deity
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One of the earliest mentions of Kalki is in the Vishnu Purana, dated to after the Gupta Empire.

Birth

There is a description of his background in other sources of scripture. The Kalachakra tantra, first taught by Buddha to Dharmaraja Suchandra of Shambhala, also describes his background:

Vishnuyasha refers to the father of Kalki as a devotee of Vishnu while Sumati refers to His mother in Shambhala. Also it is written in Kalki Purana that he will have four brothers who are Sumanta, Prajna and Kavi.

Origin of Kalki

It is believed that the origin of Kalki will be in India on the banks of river Ganges.

People who have claimed to be Kalki

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of Ahmadiyya movement, claimed to be the Kalki Avatar.

See also

References

  1. Kalki Purana: 1:2:10
  2. Manmatha Nath Dutt, tr., The Garuda Puranam (1908), p. 4
  3. Kalki Purana: 3:16:27
  4. Kalki Purana: 2:1:22
  5. Cite error: The named reference parents was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. Klaus K. Klostermaier (2006). Mythologies and Philosophies of Salvation in the Theistic Traditions of India. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-88920-743-1.
  7. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 73.
  8. Wilson, Horace (2001). Vishnu Purana. Ganesha Publishing. p. 72. ISBN 1-86210-016-0.
  9. Juergensmeyer, Mark (2006). Oxford Handbook of Global Religions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 520. ISBN 978-0-19-513798-9, ISBN (Ten digit): 0195137981.

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